I am incredibly unmotivated

We got back from WV last night. It was a fast trip. We left early Thursday morning. Quick trips like that EXHAUST me.

Maybe that's why today has been so hard.

I exercised. For the first time in about 2 months. That's progress.

I homeschooled my son. We actually got more done with that than I had planned. He has a Language Arts test tomorrow that I still have to type up. Rats!

I unpacked our bags. Everything went into the hampers, so I have washed 2 loads of clothes and will wash another load or two before bed.

I cooked brunch for my son and I. Bacon and eggs. We ate late this morning, because I got caught up in unpacking. I also made peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for lunch. What a gourmet I am!

I balanced our checkbook, made a menu, and wrote out a store list. We are really low on groceries.

I thought about going grocery shopping. I put off grocery shopping until tomorrow.

Sadly, that is the extent of things I have done.

I have things from my grandma's house that I have to unpack, but I don't feel like doing that today.

I have to help my son study for his Language Arts test on modifiers.

Mostly right now I just feel like going to bed.

Ever have one of those days?

Yummy Strawberry Cake

I saw on Stephanie's blog that she hosts a First on the Firsts encouraging people to share something they've made from scratch for the first time. I've been trying to add some new recipes to my table lately, so I thought joining in with Stephanie's venture would be a good encouragement! Here's my first entry!


Okay, it was supposed to be Blueberry Cake, but my husband doesn't like blueberries, so I changed it. Instead of 1 1/2 cups of blueberries, I used 1 1/2 cups of strawberries.

I happened to get the most scrumptious fresh strawberries ever! They smelled fabulous, they looked fabulous. Hey, isn't it winter? Right. That must be why they were so expensive.

When I saw the cake on Randi's website, I knew I'd have to give it a try. I enjoy baking cakes, but have only used fruit in cobblers. My husband's not a big fan of cobblers. This cake seemed like a good choice.

I had to look at the recipe a couple of times to be sure I wasn't forgetting anything. Still I managed to overlook the part that said to mix the sugar and cinnamon together before sprinkling it on the cake. I sprinkled them on separately and I didn't do a great job at the sprinkling, but the cake still tasted wonderful!

So, this cake was a first for me, but it definitely won't be the last time I make it!

Check out Stephanie's blog to share your Firsts on the First!

Except next month I'll try to get the date right!

Going on

This weekend has gone on even though thoughts of my grandma are always there. We've had some errands to run, getting ready for our trip up to WV on Wednesday to go to my grandma's wake and funeral. My son started baseball practice last night. I sent my husband and son to Walmart today and I'm here cleaning up the kitchen and getting ready to cook lunch.

It's all so incredibly normal and I feel a little guilty about it.

I feel guilty because she's gone and my life is going on. I know that sounds crazy. She was 89 and even though we didn't think she'd go so soon, it wasn't as if we didn't know it would happen in the near future.

My life will, of course, go on (Lord willing.). I have things to take care of like a home and family. My husband and son will still do the weekly stickball this afternoon. We'll watch the Super Bowl tonight. Well, they will and I'll sit there and cross-stitch and pretend to be interested.

Tomorrow morning my husband will go to work. I'll school my son and probably be aggravated that I have to pick up 20 pairs of socks off the floor. I'll do laundry. I'll cook meals and wash dishes. Life will proceed as normal.

But in the back of my mind all week, I'll remember that she's not there anymore. She's not in that house in Beckley going about her day. I'll think about the fact that there's no one to call anymore and check on at that phone number. No reason for me to send cards that read "To my Grandmother" to her address. No reason to remind myself to pick up the phone on December 3rd every year to wish her a happy birthday.

I'll never hear her say my name again. Never get another card from her. I'll never again be able to ask her what it was like to be a wife and mom back then. I'll never hear her talk about her life or try to convince her to pull out those pictures so I can see her and my grandfather at the beginning of their life together. I'll never hear her use those unique expressions she has that no one else ever says.

And those special moments when I realize that this woman and I who share a middle name also share other traits won't happen anymore. I won't be able to discover anything else new about her.

It's difficult, but I draw some comfort from the fact that she lived these moments too. She was a wife and mom who lost family members and had to go on. She was a caretaker who had to make the best of things.

Even when the worst things were happening to her, like losing her daughter just a few weeks ago, and dealing with the uncertainty of her own health, she'd say "But you have to go on, Tina, because what else can you do?"

She's right. What else can you do? You go on, praying to ease the pain that losing her has caused. You pray for your family who are dealing with all the details. You thank God that she lived to the age of 89 and thank Him that He let you keep your grandma for so long.

You prepare for the little rituals, the customs of saying goodbye to her. A wake, a funeral, a graveside service. The meal at the church she was a member of for so long aftewards with family.

You tell stories, you spend time with family. You cry, you laugh, you cry some more.

Then you come home. You cook meals, do laundry, school your son, pick up socks.

You go on, remembering her, because what else can you do?

I heart cross-stitching

A year or so ago they opened a store near my parents' house called The Amish Barn. I visit that store as often as I can and I always find something to buy.

You don't see a lot of Amish-y stuff in Georgia, but Amish stuff is BIG in West Virginia. My sister lives in Greenbrier County and near her is a store owned by a Mennonite family. They sell meat, cheese, and assorted other groceries. They have a separate building that houses their bakery. Yep, that's right. A bakery. I love going to that bakery!

The Amish Barn is not owned by Amish people (of course!), but they sell items made by the Amish. They have some really nice furniture. I have plans to buy some furniture from them one day. They also have food stuff. My son likes a particular type of seedless black raspberry jam and they carry it. I can't remember the particular brand. I just know it when I see it.

They also sell pictures, frames, candles, and some primitive-type things. Last year I started buying these cute little cross-stitch projects from them. They are from the Gentle People Collection from Douglas Designs out of Arkansas. The designs all feature "plain" people doing "plain" things. I bought one that is a lady picking apples from an apple tree. Another is called "Corn Man" featuring a man in a corn field.

Here's one that is finished showing a mother with a mixing bowl and a little boy in front of her with flowers behind his back. It's called "Surprise!". I framed it just to see how it would look, but this is not the frame it will stay in.
After I get this set of 3 finished, I plan to put them in simple wood frames and hang them in my kitchen. I've been cross-stitching since I was in my early teens and these designs are basic, but finishing them just makes me very happy!

I really love to cross-stitch!

There's a website address on the designs I bought from the Amish Barn, but it doesn't work. I did find Jeanette Douglas Designs, but haven't been able to find the Gentle People Collection from her site. Maybe it's not the same place.

I'm hoping to cross-stitch all my female relatives something this year! I gotta get busy!

Oh, my heavens!

Last night I made Amish Style Oven Fried Chicken that I got from Farmhouse Blessings. It was delicious.

You know what? Delicious just doesn't do it justice. It was the BEST chicken I have ever made and I've made lots of chicken. My husband (who can be a little picky) could not stop raving about it. And my son begged me to make it again this week.

And it wasn't just delicious. It was pretty. Pretty chicken? Yes, pretty chicken. I should have gotten a picture, but after we started eating we couldn't put the chicken down long enough to pick up the camera. The chicken quickly disappeared.

That chicken is going in my permanent recipe box.

I had mashed potatoes and biscuits along with the chicken. I should have made a vegetable, but I was late getting dinner on the table and I was a little flustered. By the time the biscuits were done, we just wanted to eat.

Actually, everything I have made this week has gone over big.

I made Potato Soup on Monday, another recipe from Lea at Farmhouse Blessings.

I'll make an embarrassing confession here. I have NEVER made potato soup. My husband and I will be celebrating our 17th anniversary in September and I am just a few years shy of 40 and I have NEVER made potato soup.

I know it's silly, but I was a little intimidated by making this soup. I thought for sure I was going to mess it up. Actually, I did forget the butter, but the soup was still very good. I think I went a little overboard with the pepper, still it didn't make it bad. The soup was just peppery.

I didn't get biscuits made to go with the soup like I had planned. Next time I think I'm going to make Amish White Bread to go with the soup. I made this bread from Tammy's Recipes on Sunday and it was fantastic. I've used Tammy's recipe for Homemade Wheat Bread before and it always comes out great, but I have never made homemade white bread.The Amish White Bread was simple to make and had a great texture and flavor. The next time I try it I might turn it into rolls rather than a loaf of bread. I think that can easily be done after letting the bread rise the first time by placing three small balls of dough together in a greased muffin cup. After giving it some more time to rise, it should bake into a nice dinner roll. I'll be testing it out the weekend.

I've made chocolate chip muffins twice this week, once on Saturday and again on Tuesday. My son is a big fan of the store bought chocolate chip muffins. You know the overpriced ones that come from the bakery? Well, the recipe I got from Born Blonde was perfect. I thought the batter needed more liquid, but decided to trust her judgment (since she has, you know, actually made the muffins before!). She was right. The batter was perfect. The muffins were delectable!


It's a nice breakfast for my husband and son. I like that my husband can just grab them and go. (He prefers to eat in the car. It makes his 2 hour commute just a bit more tolerable.) I also like that I can fix them the day before and let my son eat them for breakfast. I'm not always in the mood to cook first thing in the morning. This is a good alternative for my son who has never liked breakfasts that are convenient for me. He won't eat cold cereal. Breakfast bars are not his thing. Poptarts are something he can take or leave. Chocolate Chip Muffins? Those are a winner.

I'm going to try these muffins later this week with strawberries instead of the chocolate chips. I think they'll be really good that way too.

So, it's Thursday and it's been one week since my family has eaten dinner out. That's a record, people! I'm still having trouble with lunch ideas for my husband. Here's the scoop. Maybe you can help!

He's not crazy about sandwiches. He'll eat them once in a while, but sandwiches for lunch every day is not something he enjoys. He doesn't have a microwave. Any suggestions? Maybe a thermos that will keep soup or something warm. I've even thought about buying a small microwave and having him take it to work. The cost versus eating out would make the investment worth it, I think.

I'm going to do some more research about it. Leave suggestions, if you have any!

Menu Plan Monday -- No Eating Out!

I spent some time last week working on our taxes. What a thrill! I also took the opportunity to add up how much was spent last year on eating out. The total was embarrassing! Therefore, I have determined to make it through an entire week without eating out. I'm ashamed to admit that would be quite an achievement for our family.

I looked over several blogs for some inspiration and came up with a menu with a little help from bloggy friends! I plan on taking some pictures this week of the things I'm cooking. I'm kind of excited about it!

Monday

B - Oatmeal or cereal, toast
L - Egg salad sandwiches, soup
D - Potato Soup, biscuits

Tuesday

B - Chocolate Chip Muffins
L - Leftover soup from Monday dinner or leftover egg salad sandwiches
D - Pinto beans, fried potatoes, biscuits

Wednesday

B - Oatmeal, toast
L - Sandwiches, soup
D - Amish Style Oven Fried Chicken, mashed potatoes, corn, salad

Thursday

B - Oatmeal or cereal
L - Sandwiches, soup, or leftovers from dinner on Thursday
D - Sausage Potato Casserole, fruit

Friday

B - Oatmeal or cereal, fruit
L - Leftovers from dinner on Thursday
D - Sweet and Tangy Sloppy Joes, fries

Saturday

B - Sausage biscuits
L - Roast Sticky Chicken, roasted potatoes, corn on the cob, rolls
D - Leftovers

Sunday

B - Leftover sausage biscuits
L - Roxann's Mexican Enchiladas, salad
D -Leftovers from lunch, Strawberry Cake (Randi used blueberries, but I'm using strawberries)


Looks pretty good, doesn't it? And I'll have some pictures this week to prove it! So stay tuned!

Go check out some other great menus!

Why I can't get rid of my cable company

I'm annoyed with my cable company (Comcast, if you are interested in knowing which one). They charge ridiculous prices to loyal customers, while giving their new customers the best rates. Also, their customer service is non-existant. I have never run into so many people that work for a company and couldn't care less about customer service. After trying to resolve some issues last week, I was flabbergasted by the lack of quality customer care.

So, I'm on the lookout for a different company. Come to find out, my particular little area of metro Atlanta doesn't offer a lot of choice when it comes to cable television. We've heard bad things about DirectTV, so haven't been interested in going that route. Not yet, anyway.

The aggravation of it all makes me want to just get it all disconnected and become one of those unplugged families. Sometimes it seems like it wouldn't be that great of a loss. I've watched a lot of garbage on TV.

For instance, I used to watch Oprah and Dr. Phil all the time. Every weekday. Had to watch it. I stopped that a few years back. I decided that's just a waste of a couple of good hours. So, while for years I thought I couldn't live without it, those shows have been very easy to give up.

I haven't watched soaps since I was in high school (Santa Barbara used to be my fave -- anybody remember that one?). And those judges shows that dominate daytime TV? Yuck. One of the many good things about homeschooling is it makes you keep the TV off during the day. I don't think I'm missing anything. I might turn it on once in a while to look at the news, but 99 percent of the time, my TV is not on during the day.

I have had to weed out my TV viewing over the past couple of years anyway. Maybe getting it all turned off wouldn't be that big of a deal.

Some of the shows that have fallen by the wayside or are on the chopping block include:

1. Without A Trace -- good show, but not good enough to make the cut.
2. Supernanny -- after a while, I just wanted to smack the parents and take the kids and raise them myself.
3. Wife Swap -- was interesting the first season in a "social-experiment" sort of way, now it's the same thing, different families every week. It was super easy to give this show up.
4. Samantha Who? -- I thought this was kind of a cute show, but I don't have time for cute. It got cut after half a season.
5. Grey's Anatomy -- I tried to hop on this bandwagon, but I didn't get past the third episode of the first season.
6. ER -- I know. I'm horrible. How could I let this show go? I watched ER for YEARS, but every season it stole a bit of my soul. After Dr. Carter left, I had to go too. I've tried to watch this last season, awaiting Dr. Carter's promised return, but I have the last 2 episodes waiting on my TiVo and haven't attempted to watch yet.
7. The Office -- This show has some amazingly hilarious moments, but I'm getting tired of it. With regret, I might have to give it the old heave ho.
8. The Biggest Loser -- Can't handle another season. Yes, I am trying to lose weight, but it's not motivating to me in the least. I wish all the people on there the best, but 2 hour shows every week? Too much. Gotta go.
9. Lipstick Jungle -- Who needs soap operas during the day when they have one on Friday night at 9 p.m.? I have watched 2 seasons of this show and I still don't know why. If it is renewed, I will not be watching it again.

It would be easy to say goodbye to stuff like that, but giving up cable TV would also mean giving up these shows that I really feel like I couldn't live without. Okay, I could live without them, but I would always miss them.

1. Life -- I love Damian Lewis. I love this show. I hope, hope, hope NBC keeps it on for a while. I have fears that it won't make it next season, but I will stick with it until it gets the ax.
2. Lost -- How can this show get better and better? It does. It really does. People, if you don't watch this show, give it a chance. Rent the first season DVDs and you will not be disappointed. Believe the hype.
3. Eli Stone -- I'm holding on to this show, hoping it will get better. The first season was AMAZING and I am not just saying that because I heart George Michael and watching him takes me back to my Wham! days. The first season was really good. The second season (sans George Michael) is not as great. I still hope ABC gives it a chance to make it.
4. Monk -- Evan and I watch this show together. It is consistently good.

I also love catching old episodes of Andy Griffith. I would really miss TVLand. Hallmark shows some good movies sometimes. I would miss the heartwarming stories.

And living without Turner Classic Movies? I don't think so. I think it is the best contribution Ted Turner has made to society (and that includes his billion dollar contribution to the UN). I love old movies and have watched some terrific stuff I would have never known about without TCM.

I am positive my husband wouldn't approve of me giving cable the boot. First of all he could not make it through college football season without it. Then there's basketball, NASCAR, baseball season --- even I would have trouble giving up watching the Braves.

My husband and son watch Heroes and love it. They also watch Smallville. Hubby also likes Battlestar Galactica, Fringe, any sci-fi stuff really. And he just recently started loving House. I don't get that show, but he likes it. Reruns of it constantly clog up my Now Playing section on TiVo. My TiVo.

And that's another reason giving up cable would be hard. How could I say goodbye to TiVo? It has never done anything to harm me. Only making my life easier and making me less of a slave to the schedules set up by heartless TV executives. I couldn't say bye to TiVo. It unconditionally loves me.

So, there's the rub. I want to punish Comcast by taking my business elsewhere, but it seems I am hooked. I'm still gonna look around more, but right now I'm sticking with them.

Feel free to tell me all about your "must-sees" on TV!